Printing mechanism



April 18, 19.39. H. s. LABOMBARDE PRINTING MEGHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY" April 18, 1939. H. s. LABOMBARDE 2,154,757

' PRINTNG MEGHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY `BY n April 18, 1939. H. s. LABOMBARDE 2,154,757

PRINT ING MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 19, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 .Mill

HIMOL 5. ANRE IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY April 18, 1939 H. s. LABOMBARDE PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 HA Rows. leona/maf INVENToR.

BY l

ATTORNEY April 18, 1939.

H. S. LABOMBARDE PRINTING MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 19, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 HAHOL A50/73,4305.

INVENTOR l BY A Tram/EY- April 18, 1939. H. s. LABOMBARDE 2,154,757

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 14 /19 l2' H9 K/ H7 A \m @//117 A M @Lm ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MECHANISM Harold S. Labombarde, Nashua, N. H., assigner to The International Paper Box Machine Company, Nashua, N. H., a corporation of Maine Application January 19, 1935, Serial No. 2,560

6 Claims.

There are two types of rotary printing presses. the gripper press printing one sheet to a revolution or to two revolutions and the web press which may print any number of impressions per revolution. The objection to the web press is that the cylinder circumference must be in exact ratio to the number of images to be printed. This makes the web press non-flexible, that is to say, if said ratio is to be changed all the printing cylinders of the web press have to be changed. With lmy invention I may always use the same cylinder diameter but, because of using individual sheets, I may vary the space between sheets, it being understood that this space will vary depending on the length of the sheet. With the web press the plate cylinder has the plate all the way around while I may have a. thin metal plate which does not cover the entire circumference of the plate cylinder. With the web press, as a practical matter, the space between images must be negligible because such space means a waste of paper when the printed portion is died from the rest of the web while with my invention the spaces between blanks may be varied depending on the size of the printed blank and whether one, two or more images are printed per revolution, it being understood that I may have, within limits, any desired number of images per revolution of the printing cylinder. I may have a removable plate around the printing cylinder and this removability permits a ready change from one plate to another. The space between the ends of the plate is not harmful because this space will correspond with the space between individual blanks. In the gripper press it is impossible to handle many odd-shaped blanks since the grippers contact only a portion of the blank, the remainder of the blank being out of control while the blank is carried around the cylinder. With my invention the blank is fiat at all times during the printing and therefore is under the control of the printing surfaces, these being preferably the perfectly cylindrical surfaces of the blanket cylinder and the 4impression cylinder.

, As one illustration of my ability to handle odd shapes I refer to the double wrap drinking cup, the sheet in such being Y. semi-circular. As another illustration I refer to small tin plates, especially irregularly-shaped tin plates, which may be very satisfactorily printed by my mechanism because of my offset printing and the fact that the tin`A plates do not need to be bent around a cylinder as they are at present. y

The principal object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for printing a wide range of Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism for printing blanks and especially flexible individual blanks such as sheets of paper and to do this printing at a very high rate of speed and without the use of grippers in the printing operation. When grippers are used in the printing operation a speed of two hundred blanks per minute is the highest practical speed obtainable while with my invention a speed of four hundred even up to eight hundred per minute is entirely practical, the rate of printing depending on the number of imprints for each revolution of the printing cylinder.

An important feature of my invention is that I provide oset printing, among other purposes, to eliminate make-ready and to provide the ability to print on rough surfaces.

Another important feature is a blanket cylinder having a perfectly true cylindrical surface, this surface being particularly important because it takes part in the advance of the blank under perfect register and control.

Another feature is means for keeping the blank substantially horizontal as it leaves the printing cylinder.

Another feature is means for stacking the printed blanks in substantially vertical position to prevent transfer of the printing from one blank to another and to provide a. stack such that blanks may be removed at any time as desired without stopping the machine and without marring the printing.

Another feature is the provision of means for giving the desired tiltv to the stacked blanks.

Another feature is a printing cylinder having a plurality of sets of images, these sets being spaced apart axially of the cylinder.

Another feature is means for lifting the rear edge of a printed blank out of the way of the succeeding blank. f

Other features will be pointed out below.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a printing mechanism embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan of the same, but witlr some parts omitted;

Figure 3 is a detail of the stacking mechanism on a larger scale:

Figure 4 is an end view looking from the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail of the pin registering mechanism described below;

Figure 8 is a detail of the pin mechanism;

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the mechanism for driving the toothed member described belo\1v/;f

Figure 8 is a detail of the stripper;

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the mechanism for adjusting the cylinders, looking from the opposite side of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a sectional detail of the adjusting mechanism for the printing cylinder, the section being on line II-Il of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a sectional detail, on line I I-II of Figure 9, of the register chain adjustment;

Figure 12 is an enlarged detail of the mechanism for carrying the blank to the stacker;

Figure 13 is a plan of a portion of the gripping mechanism, on a larger scale;

Figure 14 is an elevation of said portion of the gripping mechanism on a larger scale;

Figure 15 is a detail, on a larger scale, 0f a portion of the stacking mechanism;

Figures 16 and 17 are enlarged details of the registering mechanism;

Figure 18 is a partial section. enlarged, on line I8-I8 of Figure 2;

Figure 19 is an end elevation, enlarged, looking in the direction of the arrows from line I9-I 9 of Figure 2;

Figure 20 is a diagrammatic plan showing a printing cylinder having two sets of images; and

Figure 21 is a fragmentary view of a modincation described below.

'Ihe individual blanks to be printed are placed in hopper l from which they are fed, one by one, by a suitable feeding mechanism which, in the form shown, comprises a combing wheel 2, a cleaning brush 3 and a gate 4, these parts and the mechanism operating them being like those shown in my Patent No. 1,897,484 dated February 14, 1933. Two belts 5 and 5 carry each blank forward, belt 5 being driven by pulley l and belt 8 by pulley 3, these pulleys being driven by chain 9 which is driven by shaft Imi-the latter being driven, through suitable gearing, by shaft II, the parts being mounted in frames II'l and IIb.

As the blank is advanced by the belts it is held down on the belts by metal balls I8 in suitable cages I1 and is side-registered by vertical members or guides I8 and I9 which are mounted on eross'rods 2|) and 2i and held in the desired adjusted position by wing nuts 22, 22 and 23 and 23'.

As the blank nears the end of its travel on the belts its front edge is brought into engagement with abutments 24, 25, 28 and another, not shown, which. in the form shown, are pins secured to chains 28 and 29. 'I'he speed of the belts is substantially greater than the speed of said abutments so as to hold the front edge of the blank firmly against the abutment.

'I'he cages I1, the belts 5 and t and the chains 28 and 29 are all mounted on castings 38 and 3|. the latter being mounted for transverse adjustment by screws 32.

Chains 28 and 28 are driven by sprockets 33 and 34 iixed to shaft I8.

The impression cylinder 35 may be moved toward and from the printing cylinder I4 by a hand lever 35, which, when swung to the left, moves short arm 31 toward the left to move gear 38 and thereby move the eccentric bearing 38 to l adjust the position of the impression cylinder.

After the edge of the blank has been registered against the moving abutments, such as 24, and

before the abutments start their downward movement, the blank is engaged by two top rolls i0 48 and 4I which are mounted on shaft 42, to which is fixed gear 43, which, through idle gear 44, is driven by gear 45 fixed to shaft 48, which, by suitable gearing, is driven by main drive shaft I5. Shaft 45 is fixed to the blanket or printing cylinder I4. A bottom roll 41 is mounted on stud 49 which is fixed in casting 38 and another bottom roll is similarly xed in casting 3l. 'Ihe top rolls and bottom rolls act to advance the blank after it has been accurately registered ,n against the abutments and before the latter start their downward movement. Rolls 5I and 52 are driven by suitable gearing from shaft 42 and act to advance the blank to position between printing cylinder I4 and impression cylinder 35.

The ink on cylinder I4 tends to lift the forward portion of the blank but this tendency is resisted by the teeth 53 xed to shaft 54, the latter being driven at higher peripheral speed than that of the printing cylinder I4 by compound gearing 55, 56, 51 and 58. Said teeth engage the forward edge of the blank and throw it down so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal. To aid this throwing action I provide air holes from the centre of the hollow shaft 54 leading out to the periphery, the air being forced into the hollow shaft by a suitable pump.

To prevent the forward edge of the blank from bending down and following the impression cylinder, if, for example, the static electricity should give a greater pull than the ink, I provide a doctor 59 which is pivoted at 88 and' held in contact with the impressionv cylinder by spring 5I.

When the blank leaves the cylinders I4 and 35 it is advanced on aprons 52 and 83, driven by suitable mechanism such as the sprockets 44 and and the chain 68.

If a portion of the blank is unprinted the top pressure rolls 61 are positioned over the unprinted portion of the blank and keep the latter in engagement with the apron, said rolls being pivoted and held down by springs 88.

If the blank has so much printing that the use of said pressure rolls might result in their engaging the printed portion, then I keep the blank down on the aprons by the use of air engaging the top of the blank. This air is brought to proper position over the blank by air pipes 43 adjustably mounted on cross bar 18. The air is fed to the pipes by a suitable air pump.

The speed of the apron travel should be preferably the same as the surface speed A of the printing cylinder.

When the blank is about to leave the aprons its forward edge enters between the jaws of grip- 65 pers, each of which comprises a jaw 1I which is fixed with relation to the chain 12 and comprises a jaw 13 pivoted to jaw 1I. Mounted on an extension of jaw 'II is spring finger 14 and I provide coiled spring 15 which tends to close jaws II and 13. When the chain carries the jaws upwardly into proximity to the forward edge of a blank spring finger 'i4 is bent to the position shown in Figure 12 and stationary cam surface 'I8 acts toopen jaws 1I and 'I3 by engagingarm Il which n has flxed connection with jaw 18, so that the forward edge of the blank is forced in between the jaws. it being understood that the speed of the aprons is preferably about twice the speed of travel of the chain. When the forward edge of the blank is between the jaws the pivoted arm 11 leaves the cam surface whereupon the coiled spring 15 forces the jaws into position to grip the forward edge of the blank. As the chain now travels around an arc the spring nger acts to lift the blank, as shown in Figure 3, so that the rear edge will be lifted out of the path of the next advancing blank. The purpose of this is to permit the speed of the aprons to be much greater than the speed of the grippers without interference with the gripping action. When the gripping jaws carry the blank around the arc pivoted arm 11 is engaged by adjustable cam 18 and the jaws are opened to release the blank which comes to rest on stripper 16 which is mounted on bar 80. Oscillator 8|, sliding on rod 82 and driven by crank arm 88, fastened to gear 84, pushes the blank just released into the pile and on its backward stroke allows the blank to drop from stripper 19 to bar 80 in which position the stripper acts to hold the blank in its substantially vertical stacked position and spaced from the next incoming blank.

If the blank is of thin and yielding material such, for example, as newspaper, the pile of blanks may buckle down and to overcome this, if it should occur, the entire mechanism which delivers from the aprons is pivoted about bushing 85, pivoted arms 86 being notched to engage pin 81 so that the desired tilt may be given to the stacked blanks.

Sprocket 65 is fixed to shaft 88 carrying gear 89 which, through gear 90, drives gear 9| which, in turn, drives shaft 92, to which are fixed by keys, with provision for sliding movement, sprockets 93 and 94 engaging chains 12. In order to take up any stretch of chains 12 I provide sprockets 95 which have studs 96 which may be adjustably located in slots 91 on the frame.

The chains 12 and their actuating mechanism are mounted on portion 98 of the frame of the stacker, which has screws, such as 99, the latter providing for transverse adjustment of said chains and actuating mechanism.

Ink for printing is distributed from fountains through ductor rolls IOI to ordinary distributor rolls |02 and thence to plate cylinders |08 which in turn transfer the inked image or printed surface to the printing or blanket cylinder I4, the latter transferring the ink to the individual blank. The plate cylinders |03 may have two images as indicated in Figure 5, this permitting the printing of two blanks, if desired, for one revolution of the cylinders.

Stud 8|* (see Figure 8) provides an anchor for one end of spring 6| and the stud may be screwed into the frame at any suitable place.

In Figure 6 I have shown a portion of chain 28 having ordinary links 28, pivotally connected to each other by block 28h, into which is screwed pin 24 which consists of threaded stud 24 and eccentric bushing 241. If one of the chains 28 should stretch relatively to the other the stud 24 may be unscrewed to permit rotary adjustment of the bushing so that its rearward portion will align with the pin of the corresponding chain at the other side of the machine so that the two pins will properly align the blank.

In Figure 9 the impression cylinder 85, which is driven by gearing indicated in Figure 2 as I5,

Ib and I5, is fixed to shaft II, the latter having fixed to it gear 85', which, through gear 86", drives gear 35 fixed to shaft I0. On shaft 46 is fixed gear 46, as by screws and keys. Gear 46l is clamped by screws 46h to gear 45.v Into gear 45 extends stud 46 supporting pinion 46d. When screws 16b are loosened gear 46* may be rotarily adjusted by turning 46d with a suitable tool. Similar rotary adjustment may be provided for cylinders |08, |108.

In Figure 1l I show gear 85c (shown in Figure 9) as fixed, as by pressing, to an extension of gear 85d, the latter being driven, through intermediate pinion 85, by gear 85t which is fixed to shaft I0. Nut 35'r clamps gear 85e to handwheel 85h and when loosened allows gear 85e to be rotated for the purpose of turning shaft I0 to adjust sprockets 83 and 84 so that pins 24 and 25 may be adjusted with relation to the image on the printing cylinders.

In Figures 13 and 14 I show the grippers in a Vrotary position other than the positions shown in Figures 3 and 12, the open positionof jaw 18 being indicated in Figure 14.

In Figure 15 I show a portion of the stacking mechanism on a larger scale, the cam member 18 being adjusted by screw 18 mounted to turn in block 18", the latter being suitably xed on frame 98.

Frames |04 and |05 are pivoted to the frames II and |Ib on brackets |06 and |01, said frames |04 and |05 being pivoted on the bearing bushings of shaft 92. Frames 98 and |18a are held in alignment with brackets |04 and |05 by bar |08 and the whole unit, namely, elements |04, |05, 98 and 98n and the mechanism carried by them, is swung by arms 86 to give the desired tilt to the stacked blanks.

In Figure 18 I show, enlarged, a portion of the structure of cylinders I4 and |08, it being understood that the cylinder covering |09 in Figure 18 is metal for cylinders |03 and a rubber yblanket for cylinder I4. This covering is perforated near its edge at suitable intervals crosswise of the machine, the edge being held between plates ||0 extending parallel with the axis of the cylinder. these plates having holes drilled to register with the perforations in the covering. Screws III hold the plates in position with said edge clamped between them. The edge of the covering at the left of Figure 18 is similarly held between plates, which are clamped by screws H2, the latter entering shaft ||8 which has pinned to it an angular portion ||4 to receive a wrench for turning the shaft. Said angular portion is integral with a ratchet wheel I|5 whose teeth are engaged, as desired, by pawl ||6 so that the shaft may be turned and held in the turned position by pawl ||6, to keep the cylinder covering as tight as desired.

In Figure 21 I show a double blanket comprising not only the rubber covering |09 but also an inner rubber blanket |25 which acts as a cushion for the printing blanket or cover |09, this inner blanket acting to absorb the pressure created, for example, by doubled over blanks or if two sheets were accidentally fed. If this pressure were not absorbed the blanket will be ruptured by such extraordinary pressure. The inner blanket is fastened at one end and floats at the other so that it may accommodate itself to the stretch of the outer blanket.

In Figure 20 I show a blanket cylinder I4l having a set of images I|1 and a set of images I|8, these sets being spaced apart axially of the cylinder. A stream of blanks ill may be fed on belts i!! and III corresponding to belts l and l and a different stream i!! may be fed on similar belts |23 and i, Chain pins similar to 2l and Il will be used and the two streams will be printed simultaneously between the blanket and impression cylinders.

An important advantage of my invention is that any given point on my registering chain will complete one cycle of its travel in exactly the same time as is taken by a given point on the blanket cylinder circumference for a complete cycle of its travel. the result being that if the chain stretches one of the abutments may be adjusted so that it will be located exactly halfway around the chain with relation to the other abutment. If the plates are inaccurate in the making and the images are not located exactly in the desired position adjustment of the pin abutments will compensate for error in the plates.

A great advantage of my stripper which is the toothed member Il is that if for example, the machine were stopped for even a short time, the ink on the blanket roll becomes tacky and when the machine-is started again the blank will stick to the blanket roll unless prevented by the stripper I3 or by the air through the air holes or by both. If not stripped the blank may be carried up and ruin the blanket and perhaps the ink rollers.

What I claim is:

1. In a high speed printing machine, the combination with an impression cylinder of a coacting blanket cylinder to receive one or more printing images extending in circumferential arrangement about the cylinder for printing a succession oi' individual blanks means for moving the respective blanks in a substantially straight line between said cylinders, each in timed registry with a printed image on the blanket cylinder, and a positively actuated continuously rotating stripper means located close to the periphery of the blanket cylinder and beyond and above the point where the blanks are imprinted with said images and acting-to engage the forward edge of the blank and force it downwardly so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal during the printing operation.

2. In a high speed printing machine, the combination with an impression cylinder of a coacting blanket cylinder to receive a plurality printing images extending in circumferential arrangement about the cylinder and spaced axially of said cylinder for printing a succession of individual flexible blanks, means for moving the respective blanks in a substantially straight horizontal line between said cylinders, each in timed registry with a printed image on the blanket cylinder, and a continuously rotating toothed stripper member located outside the blanket cylinder in close proximity to and above the delivery side thereof in position to engage and strip the blanks regardless of the timing of their delivery and acting to engage the forward edge of the blank and force it downwardly so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal during the printing operation.

3. A printing mechanism comprising an impression cylinder and a blanket cylinder to receive orne or more circumferentially disposed printing images for successively imprinting individual flexible blanks as they pass between said cylinders in a substantially straight horizontal line in timed registry with the images on the blanket cylinder, and a stripper comprising a continuously operating air flow element located adjacent to the blanket cylinderbeyond and above the printing line and acting to detach the forward end of each blank being printed from adherence to the offset cylinder and to force itdownwardly so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal during the printing thereof.

4. A printing mechanism comprising an impression cylinder and a blanket cylinder to receive one or more circumferentially dismsed printing images for successively imprinting individual flexible blanks as they pass between said cylinders in a substantially straight horizontal line in timed registry with the images on the blanket cylinder, and a stripper located adjacent tothe blanket cylinder beyond and above the printing line comprising a continuously rotating perforated toothed air ilow element acting to detach the forward end of said blank being printed from adherence to the blanket cylinder and to force it downwardly so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal during and after the printing operation.

5. A high speed printing machine. adapted to print a wide variety of blanks, comprising a blanket cylinder to receive a plurality ofsets of circumferentially spaced images oi' differing sise or shape, a cooperating impression cylinder, means for feeding a plurality of series of blanks in a straight line between said blanket and impression cylinders at a constant speed, means cooperating with said feeding means to vcause proper registration of the respective blanks with rthe complementary images of the respective sets,

a positively actuated stripping means located ad' iacent to the blanket cylinder beyond and above the printing line and rotating at a greater peripheral speed than that of said onset cylinder, acting to detach the forward end of each blank being printed from adherence to the blanket cylinder and to force it downwardly so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal during and after the printing thereof.

6. A high speed printing machine, adaptedv simultaneously to print a plurality of blanks..

comprising a blanket cylinder to receive a plurality of circumferentially spaced sets of images in axially spaced relation, a cooperating impression cylinder, parallel feeding means for presenting a plurality of series of blanks in a straight j. line to the respective sets of circumferentially spaced images between said blanket and impression cylinders at a constant speed, and means cooperating with respective feeding means to cause proper registration of the respective blanks with the complementary images and a positively rotated toothed stripping member located adjacent to the blanket cylinder and beyond and above the printing line acting to force the forward end of the blank downwardly so that the entire blank is substantially horizontal during and after the printing operation.

HAROLD S. LABOMBARDE. 

